Five perks of shopping at a farmers market

Farmers markets can be a great place to score fresh, tasty produce for your family.

Benefits of purchasing products from farmers markets:

Fresh = longer lasting. The produce is often picked the same day or less than a day before you purchase it. Less time off the plant equals more time for you to use it up.

Taste. Many feel that there is more flavor in the locally grown foods. Most will be picked at the perfect ripeness, not a few days before they are ripe to allow for travel time (like most produce you would get from a supermarket).

More than vegetables. Not a vegetable fan? That’s OK. In addition to vegetables, you’ll often find fruit, flowers, preserves, herbs and farm grown pork and beef products.

Support local growers. By shopping your local farmers market, you are putting money back into the local economy. As a bonus, you are also helping your local growers continue to provide fresh foods to the community.

Learning experience. The vendors at farmers markets really love what they do and have a wealth of knowledge about the products they grow. They almost always are excited to share more information about their products or recipes to use them in. They can explain the difference between the different species of a product such as which tomatoes are best for canning and which are better eaten fresh.

Health information accessed through www.centracare.com is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. We strive to present reliable, up-to-date health information on our web site and “For the Health of It” blog. However, this information is not intended for the purpose of diagnosing or prescribing. Please contact your health care provider if you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health. Log in to MyChartto send a secure message to your provider.